I could talk about analytics for hours.
About data sources. About attribution. About models. About why the numbers in different systems don't match and how to put it all together properly.
And I thought people should see the value.
Sometimes they did. But rarely.
Then I looked at it through the other person's eyes.
Money is going into channels they don't trust. The team argues about the numbers. They don't want a lecture on how complicated data is. Nobody does.
Everyone wants to understand three things: where the money is leaking, what they can trust, and what to do on Monday.
And I'd show up and deliver a term paper on analytics. As if complexity solved problems on its own.
Basically, I was hiding behind my expertise. While you're explaining how smart you are, you don't have to answer the scarier question: what exactly will change for this person after your conversation?
Since then I try to start with the other person, not with myself. I listen and try to actually hear. It doesn't always work. But I try.
